Scalable optical switch

Abstract

A scalable optical switching device comprising: (a) an input optical fiber; (b) a plurality of output optical fibers; (c) a rigid concave spherical mirror; and (d) at least one planar refractive plate located between the input fiber and the mirror and shiftable between a first position and a second position wherein the refractive plate has a thickness dimension in the direction through which a light beam from the input optical fiber passes and an index of refraction that are selected to transmit the light beam to and from the mirror through the refractive plate to different output optical fibers when the refractive plate is switched between the first position and the second position.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A scalable optical switching device comprising: 
       at least one input optical fiber;  
       2 N  number of output optical fibers, wherein N>1;  
       a reflective surface; and  
       N number of planar refractive plates having relative thicknesses d 0, 1, 2 . . . n , wherein N=n, said refractive plates being located between said input optical fiber and said reflective surface, each refractive plate being shiftable between at least a first position and a second position, wherein relative thicknesses d 0, 1, 2 . . . n  satisfy the following function:          d   n     =     {               2     n   -   1            d   o       ,     1   ≤   n   ≤   N                     (       2   N     +   1     )          d   o       ,     n   =   N                               
     
     
       2. The optical switching device of  claim 1 , wherein N is three, and the ratio of relative thicknesses is 5:2:1. 
     
     
       3. The optical switching device of  claim 1 , wherein N is four, and the ratio of relative thicknesses is 9:4:2:1. 
     
     
       4. The optical switching device of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one input optical fiber is a plurality of input optical fibers. 
     
     
       5. The optical switching device of  claim 4 , wherein said input and output optical fibers are arranged in two or more parallel rows with at least one input optical fiber being in each row. 
     
     
       6. The optical switching device of  claim 5 , wherein an input optical fiber of a particular row is optically connected to an output optical fiber of said particular row via said refractive plates and said reflective surface.